ONLY 23 VIEWS TO MAKE 10,000, ONLY 2 GOALS TO BREAK THE RECORD

Thank you, all of you who hit my blog from time to time. We are nearing 10,000 views, not bad for several years of publication!

Today in 1984, Stirling Albion recorded the highest match score, 20-0,  in the 20th century, at their home ground, Annfield, in a 1st Round Scottish Cup tie against amateurs Selkirk. 8 home players scored goals and Dave Thompson notched 7. With a half time score of 15-0, the visitors did well to hold the final total down to 20. Selkirk Goalkeeper, Richard Taylor, was presented with the match ball and should have been given some back rub to ease his pain.

In the 19th Century, Bon Accord were on the end of the biggest defeat 36-0, when they were beaten by Arbroath in 1885, in a Scottish Cup 1st round tie. Bon Accord AFC, after many changes of character, now turn out in the West Super League First Division, an Aberdeenshire Amateur League.

Abroath scored a similar high score vs Orion FC in 1886, 20-0 and then massed a 18-0 victory against Orion, again, the following year.
Orion FC existed from 1885-1903 but then merged with two other clubs to form Aberdeen FC.
Apparently Orion FC, a half decent team, was meant to play Arbroath in the 1885 Cup tie but Bon Accord were invited instead. hence the embarrassing defeat.

In 1885, on exactly the same day that Arbroath thumped Bon Accord, Dundee Harp, also in a Scottish cup tie, almost matched the Arbroath score, when they put 35 into Aberdeen Rovers net with no reply. Harp existed between 1879 and 1897, a club formed to accommodate the Roman Catholic community in Dundee rather like Hibernian did in Edinburgh.
There was a discrepency over the total number of goals scored in this cup tie, with the ref counting 37 but 35 was "telegraphed" to the Scottish FA. They probably did not realise the importance of those two goals.

WUNDERTEAM

Between the World Wars, while England was still regarding itself as the Masters of World Football, several European international teams were developing into major forces. The Swedes developed under George Ryanor in the late 1940s, the Hungarians were Magyarnificent!! From the 1930s through to the 1950s and the Austrians were named the Wunderteam in the 1930s. 

Their coach was Hugo Meisl, who led the Austrians through a 14 match unbeaten run in the 18 months prior to the 7th of December 1932. They beat Germany over two games during that run, with 11 goals for and none against. 

Much of the influence came from a Scot, Jimmy Hogan who coached in Austria and introduced the "Scottish School of Football" a quick passing game suited to Matthias Sindelar, who was their free scoring star player. Sindelar was known as Der Papierene, the Paper Man. 

But at Stamford Bridge, on that December day, they met their match when England beat them 4-3 in a scintillating game. A crowd of 72,000 watched the home team score twice before half time through James Hampson. The visitors grabbed one goal back before William Houghton scored a third to keep England ahead 3-1. 

Sindelar struck a minute later, Samuel Crooks made it 4-2 to England and with a final Austrian goal  minutes from the end, the crowd was kept on its toes.

The Second World War interrupted Austria's progress and certainly put pay to their 1938 World Cup hopes. Also, Sindelar died in suspicious circumstances during the hostilities, though Ernst Happel, who featured in the team during the 1940s and 1950s, took his experience of Total Football to the Netherlands with him in the 1960-70s and had a major effect on football there, as was shown in the 1974 World Cup.

FA CUP BRINGS MORE COINCIDENCES

A year or so ago, the master of Hatfield College at Durham University and I were mulling over a glass of expensive red during a dinner at the College, when he mentioned Warren Bradley and old boy of the college, and I wrote his name down so I would look him up later.

I had written down his name, but lost the reference until recently and having done nothing about the link, was sparked into action today when on Talksport the presenters were reviewing the non league clubs remaining in the FA Cup 2nd Round,  listing the "great players" who had been through the Northwich Victoria club. 

It's worth having a look on the club's website to see the players who have graced their pitch:-

Stuart Pearce, Gordon Hill, Sammy McILroy, Peter Barnes, Alan Kennedy, Bruce Grobbelaar, David Bardsley, Max Woosnam and Billy Meredith. Know anything about these last two? You will tomorrow.

Compared to these men, Warren Bradley would not be regarded as a great, but as an old boy of Hyde Grammar School, he played county schools' football, he did his university degree and played for Durham City in 1954, probably getting a bit of boot money to tide him over

In 1955 he joined the very successful Bishop Auckland FC winning the FA Amatuer Cup with them, and was signed by Matt Busby in 1958 for Manchester United, when the Scot was rebuilding his club after Munich. Bradley played for the reserves mainly but after four years at Old Trafford, he turned out 63 times for the club, as a part time professional. He was also teaching locally.

In 1959 he was picked by Walter Winterbottom for the English Full international side three times and had played 11 times for the England Amateur XI. 

Warren's career slowed down after that, going to Bury FC in 1962 and Northwich Victoria in 1963.

He then became a headteacher.

JUGAR ENTRE LINEAS

Playing between the lines....maybe reading between them?

I think Gary Neville is a bit special. Even if you are not a Man U fan, you must give him credit. His involvement in the media, his tactical awareness and the support he has given Roy of England, add to a great c.v.
He is also an all rounder, he could play serious cricket if he wanted a summer past time and he is a bright boy.
So why choose Valencia? It is a beautiful city, near Benidorm if he gets homesick, his bro is already paving the way for him and his family is moving out lock stock and barrel, so there will be another , North-west of England, rich, footballer's house to burgle! There is the challenge of catching up the top three Spanish sides and Valencia are still in the Champions League.
He promises that he will learn the language so have a look at these phrases, designed to get him started.
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/lists/186788/pies-top-10-favourite-spanish-football-phrases.html

If nothing else, this is an amusing website. What better to keep you occupied on another FA Cup Round weekend. I wonder if Gary has an eye on Salford City tonight?

An the illustration? It's got very little to do with football but it may prove useful one day....

CES PODD ALSO KNOWN AS CYRIL

A chance phone call to an old college chum and suddenly the coincidences start flooding in. He had read my blog (as you will have done) about the first "black" footballers and he remembered Ces Podd, whose unusual name made him stand out in the Football League, as much as the colour of his skin did. I am talking about the 1970s, when I can remember playing with and against my "first" black players, in the Isthmian League-a novelty at the time.

Ces has been a bit of an hero. Born in 1952, he came from St Kitts and Nevis, in the Caribbean at 9 years old and after education, he enlisted in the Bradford College of Art, having failed to make his mark with Manchester United as a youth player at 16.

It was Bradford City's luck that they got Ces in 1970, as a right back and he stayed with the club for 14 years, turning out 565 times in various competitions. He became a legend at Valley Parade but eventually moved on to Halifax from 1984-86, playing 57 times and then to Scarborough Town, briefly, ending up somewhere near Osset Town FC. Coincidently, my U12s play Ossett Town on Sunday....in the Huddersfield and District Junior League. It's a small world.
Ces championed black footballers and continued his good work back in his home country, where he managed the national team in 1999 for three years.

Involved in community work, he set up a "Salsa Dance" Company in Leeds called X-Ces which was aimed at the more deprived areas of the city, like Chapeltown, for example, bringing exercise and discipline into the less well looked after parts of the urban area. He also was involved with Leeds United Academy and became their Community Officer under Howard Wilkinson.

Ces became heavily involved in the issue of racism, both in the city and in football, so much so that his testimonial (the first granted by the FA for a black professional footballer) at Bradford City in 1980, involved a match against a "Black All Stars XI" including Luther Blissett, Garth Crooks, Vince Hilare and others.
Ces is presently Technical Director for the St Lucia FA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yj_Apdy_XM

REFERENCES REFER TO THE REFEREE

The referee was "referred" to in Richard Mulcaster's ancient account of "fotebal" in 1581 and was mentioned as the "judge over the parties". The Public Schools constantly used gentlemen on the die of the pitch, to refer to if there was an incident that the two opposing captains were not sure about. Records at Eton as far back as 1845 make reference to the umpires, usually two of them, one from each team, who would go to the referee standing at the pitch side, for help if there was a dispute. The referee would have the rule book in his hand. This became regular in matches by 1880.

In Rochdale, 1842, a match between the Bodyguards Club and the Fearnought Club relied on the neutral man and at this time a handkerchief would be thrown into the air if there was a need to make a decision. This practise prevails on American Football today.

Joseph Hudson, a tool maker in Mills Munitions Factory, Birmingham developed the Acme Thunderer, patented as early as 1868, becoming the AScme Whistle Company. The whistle may not have been made especially for sport but records show that the whistle was used in a match at Nottingham Forest against Sheffield Norfolk (a region in the city area). the secretary treasurer of Forest, Roe Lymbery, recorded in club accounts that there had been a "purchase of a whistle" in December 1872, so he would not have waited 6 years to give it a blow, surely!

There was still the belief that "gentlemen" would never commit a foul on purpose, so the use of free kicks and especially penalties rather grated with the footballers of the day. In September 1891 the "kick of death", or the penalty kick was introduced! It was John Heath of Wolverhampton Wanderers who took the first Football League kick against Accrington Stanley at Molyneux in a 5-0 win.

By 1894, he power of the referee increased and he was allowed on to the field of play. The umpires (now linesmen) retreated to the touchline.

Ken Aston was made famous by introducing the Red and Yellows cards to the game in the 1970 World Cup and now we have six officials surrounding the pitch! You will enjoy this link although you could get too engrossed in the Italian World Cup!
http://fitba2014.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-short-history-of-referees-whistle.html

LIVERPOOL WAS MADE FOR ME AND I WAS MADE FOR LIVERPOOL-BILL SHANKLY

Today, in 1959, Bill Shankly signed a contract with Liverpool Football Club and thus began an amazing era in footlball. So successful and important to Liverpool was Shankly, that his family have bought, along with a major investor, Signature Living, the old Liverpool City Council Building and developed it into a Hotel, The Shankly. It is minutes away from Victoria Station in the city centre.

After an investment of £20 million Bill's grandson, Christopher Carline, is managing the finished building which includes luxury rooms, a restaurant with classics from the British menu, including the "Shankly Burger" and fish and chips.

The Shankly Experience, enjoyed when you book into to the hotel, has on display the telegram sent to Bill by Neil Armstrong, the American astronaut, the book given to Shankly from his "This is your Life" appearance and Bill's original LFC contact. The Museum is to be visited too.
http://shanklyhotel.com/shankly-experience/

You will find a Tactics Wall with his notes and ideas from Liverpool's games, The 96 Memorial Wall and a 30 foot Video Wall with all his great filmed moments. He retired in 1974 after the "Charity Shield" match at Wembley and died only 7 years later. i

If you haven't looked at his biography, you should.